Decision to name bridge after Prince Charles irks some in UK

April 7, 2018

Britain's Prince Charles waves to the crowd as he waits to present medals at the Aquatic Centre during the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, Australia, Thursday, April 5, 2018. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

LONDON (AP) — The decision to rename a major road bridge linking England and Wales after Prince Charles has drawn a royal storm of opposition from anti-monarchists and Welsh nationalists.

The government announced this week that the Second Severn Crossing is to be rebranded the Prince of Wales Bridge. Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns said the change was a fitting tribute to the heir to the throne for his “decades of continued, dedicated service to our nation.”

But the news annoyed some in Wales, who said they weren’t consulted. Leanne Wood, leader of the Welsh nationalist party Plaid Cymru, tweeted: “Is this a late April fool joke?”

Graham Smith of anti-monarchy group Republic accused the government of making “a unilateral decision that will irritate people in England and Wales for years to come.”